Aries Marscellus
Aries Marscellus is a former Systems Alliance Naval officer, a graduate of the both the famed Interplanetary Combatives Training program and the infamous Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training program. Having since moved on from the military, he is a freelanced living with his daughter, Adelaine. Biography Aries was always a large child. His mother almost died giving birth to him, and he grew very quickly at a young age. She had been exposed to element zero during her pregnancy due to a shuttle crash in which the drive core failed, so Aries exhibited biotic potential, to boot. He always stood out from the other children, but he never let that keep him from making friends. He got along easily with most, and his massive size made bullies think twice about messing with him. His early life was about as normal as it could get, all that aside. His parents were both former Alliance soldiers, and that allowed them to get him an L2 implant when he was young, as well as training at BaAT. The Marscellus family lived on Mars; early in the colonization craze, a startup company had the radical idea to set up a colony on the side of Olympus Mons, near the summit. No one knew if the volcano was potentially active, but it was so tall that those close to the tops would not have to suffer the interference of Mars’ dust storms. So, the colony was placed, and dubbed ‘Nix Olympica’ (The original name of Olympus Mons). Up until he went to BaAT and later enlisted in the Alliance, Aries was looked down upon for having biotic potential. He never let it show that it got to him, however, always putting up the front of a strong boy who couldn’t be fazed by anything. He carried this attitude with him for the rest of his life, always projecting the sense that he was indomitable, and could not be brought low by mere words alone. At BaAT, Aries grew popular for his easygoing nature, and most people regarded him as a bit of a gentle giant. He tried his hardest to improve, though, always trying to give 110% to his lessons and training. This translated well a few years later, when Aries enlisted into the Alliance Navy's Special Forces at the age of eighteen, in the year 2168. He’d gotten superb scores on the entry exam, and was offered the chance to commission as an officer after basic training. He made short work of the physical and endurance tests of basic training, and Aries was soon a Serviceman 3rd Class in the Alliance. He immediately went into Combat Training for another six weeks, before going to OIC for a few months and coming out an Ensign. Aries served two years aboard the SSV Verdun; an Alliance Frigate that patrolled humanity’s colonies near the Terminus Systems. In those two years he took on several operations against pirates and slavers. The highlight of Aries’ time aboard the Verdun was during an operation Aries’ squad was ambushed by an overwhelming force of slavers, whilst escorting a group of freed would-be slaves to safety. Aries used his massive size and his biotics to clear a path for the squad to retreat, and then proceeded to use himself as a human shield to guide and protect each civilian individually through that path and to safety. He alternated the use of his kinetic barriers, biotic barrier, and tech armor to offload the damage. After each civilian was safe, Aries went back and did the same for each of his squad members, even carrying a wounded comrade through the rain of bullets. Aries was awarded a Medal of Valor for his efforts on that day, as well as a Purple Heart; he did not come out of that conflict unscathed. During those two years, Aries was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. In 2170 he was invited to participate in ICT which, after doing some research on it, Aries accepted graciously. ICT was the ultimate challenge for any soldier in the Alliance, and surpassing even a single term there was a feat in and of itself. He wanted to prove himself, in a sense. Thusly he went. He went, and he failed the first time around. It wasn’t so much that he wasn’t good enough, but rather that he went for the wrong reasons, and that caused him to perform poorly. Aries was always trying to push the envelope, to get ahead of the others, because he wanted to be the very best. After failing the first time, he took a few months and reevaluated the decisions he had made during the training. Then, he went at it for a second time. Aries second try at ICT was a success, and he acquired an N-1 designation. Rather than trying to surpass others, Aries made an effort simply to improve himself with every test he was put through. He was always an amiable fellow, but now he tried to become a paragon of strength and endurance for his comrades. The type of man one could look at and think; he could shoulder any burden. Aries never once complained, and he encouraged his team to be stoic and indomitable. If you didn’t let anything get to you, then nothing could stop you. That was his mindset, anyways. And that mindset got him to the end. Not once, but seven times. Aries took each N-Course back to back, not wanting to slow down or stop. There was a bit of a setback with the N-4 training; Aries team was short one technician, and they had to pick up the slack. They proved inadequate and failed that term. Aries immediately went to do research on technical work and applied himself yet again for the N-4 Course, this time passing it. Upon achieving the coveted N7 designation in 2174, Aries took thirty days leave to do a sort of self-evaluation. And besides that, he needed a breather; pushing oneself over and over again to one’s limits and pretending it didn’t hurt was taxing on the psyche. The large man read up on meditation and found himself spending large periods of time in nature on Earth, clearing his mind, and simply enjoying himself. Over the course of his ICT training, Aries found that it was important to take every break one could get, and to use that break wisely. He held onto the mentality that “if you didn’t let anything get to you, then nothing could stop you”. It was a thought process that proved to reduce stress. There was no use fretting about any unsavory situation; simply work with it, and push through it. This became a reflection of Aries’ easygoing attitude towards everything. While on Earth, Aries ran into an old friend from his BaAT days. Her name was Celene Galanthus; the two had been sweet on one another while they went to BaAT, and upon reuniting it was clear that the interest still remained between both of them. They exchanged information and kept up a rapport, even going on a couple of dates together. Aries thought about proposing, but he didn’t want to seem too eager or too rushed. Everything would fall into place with due time, no? Before he knew it, Aries’ month was up, and it was back into the fold with him. He went right back into the fray, back aboard the SSV Verdun taking part in several more operations to take down slavers and pirates. Any shore leave he got, he always tried to spend it with Celene; after BaAT she went on to become a biotics researcher, and thusly had the wealth to meet Aries at most of the ports the Verdun docked at. They went on trips to all sorts of places and saw sights that most people could only dream of. Not a year after gaining an N-7 designation, in 2175, Aries popped the question to Celene. It wasn’t long before the two got married, and upon completing their honeymoon, Celene was pregnant. Aries had to go back into combat service, but he called his wife every single day and managed to secure himself a bit of leave for the month she was slated to give birth. And thus, Adelaine Marscellus was born on March 3rd, 2176. Aries got a bit of leave time to take care of his newborn child, and after a little deliberation, he and Celene decided to move out from the Sol System for a change of pace. They decided upon living on the Citadel, it being the perfect place for their child to get used to many different alien races quickly. Aries also suspected that the education there was more varied than on Earth or Mars. The SSV Verdun’s home port was on the Citadel anyways, so it worked out nicely. For a few more months, the little family enjoyed their time together, before Aries had to go back on duty yet again. For roughly five years this cycle repeated, with Aries going out and doing operations in the name of humanity, and then visiting his family in any given off-time. That all changed, however, when a tragedy struck. One casual day in 2181, Celene was walking to go and pick up Adelaine from daycare one day. En route, she was murdered by a petty criminal and her belongings were stolen. Aries couldn’t possibly maintain his calm; he disobeyed every order; even abandoned his post, to get to the scene and find the culprit. But, upon arrival, C-SEC denied him the authority to go looking for the suspect himself. So, he decided he’d turn to drastic measures. Only by virtue of his past deeds was Aries spared jail time upon returning to the Alliance. Even so, he was immediately court-martialed and dishonorably discharged. Aries went straight home to take care of his daughter, and get leads on the person who killed his wife. It took three months before he found even a single clue, but once he did, he hunted relentlessly for the perpetrator. The thought of revenge consumed Aries; before he knew it he’d let his own personal hygiene go, and he found it hard to maintain any semblance of happiness. The only constant in his life was that his daughter must get the absolute best life he could offer her. And, she did. Adelaine was pampered, given anything and everything she asked for at a whim, with no regards to how it bit into Aries’ dwindling funds. He didn’t care. She deserved the utmost happiness, to him. A month after finding the first clue, after tracking the criminal all across the Citadel, Aries finally managed to catch up with them. It was a turian; he’d never learned the man’s name, nor did he care to learn. Aries’ vengeance was short and swift; he had no notions of torturing the man for hours on end. All he wanted was the simple and sweet cessation of life; Aries broke the turian’s neck after having sat at a bar with him and brought him a round of drinks. He even patted the alien on the shoulder and wished him the best, before his hands closed around the turian’s head and simply twisted. The bar was dead empty, and the bartender had conveniently stepped in the back for a moment. Aries was gone before they came back. It was only after the culprit was dead that Aries grieved. He grieved for a whole week, for his lost love. But even as he grieved, he knew he had little time; he packed Adelaine’s and his things up, told his daughter they were going on an adventure, and the pair disappeared from the Citadel the next day. Aries first order of business was to acquire some new weaponry and armor; having left the Alliance, he had none. He inquired on the black market about it, before getting a few offers here and there. After perusing around for a bit he decided upon commissioning a custom piece, the M-56 Rhino, and purchasing an M-11 Wraith, and an M-6 Carnifex from the black market, and within a few weeks he was rearmed and armored yet again. Aries even purchased a weapon for Adelaine as well and decided that no age was too early to learn some self-defense. So, he taught her how to fight, how to use her gun, how to use an omni-tool and even more. To top it all off, Aries purchased a set of standard armor off the market and had it modified to fit Adelaine’s measurements. He instructed her to put the armor on in the event of any kind of danger, no matter what. What with Aries’ funds rapidly depleting, his final purchase was a junkyard Kodiak, and thusly the pair went on their spacefaring journey. There was no real rhyme or reason as to where the pair traveled; usually, it was just to Adelaine’s whims. In every location they stopped, however, Aries always checked around for any bounties he could clear up, or just general handiwork he could take care of. They even became famous in local parts of small ports for being the “Helpful duo”. They pay was spotty, but asides from that, it was a very freeing lifestyle to live. Two years in, Aries discovered Korinsia. Or rather, through one source or another he heard that she was someone who could keep him reasonably in work, without having to travel around so much. The former N7 didn’t know how much he trusted this woman or any of the people she was working with, but, he decided he’d at least drop by and help out a bit, maybe see what they had to offer. Besides, Adelaine was growing too large to be cooped up in a shuttle for days on end, and Korlus wasn’t the worst place they’ve visited. She’d adjust well enough, around there. Personality In a nutshell, Aries is an upstanding guy. He’s generally kind to just about everyone, and is always willing to lend a helping hand to someone in need. In fact, the big guy usually goes out of his way to help others, out of the kindness of his heart. He’s a man that could be described as the epitome of masculinity, always doing manly things like working out, or cleaning his gun, going “hunting”, fixing someone’s car, etc. In contrast, he tends to shy away from effeminate things. It’s not that Aries particularly dislikes effeminate things, but rather that he’s just uncomfortable with them. He’s a pretty easygoing guy, and often he tries to keep himself from getting particularly frustrated at anything. Aries likes to go with the flow, so to speak. Aries has a bit of a righteous side to him as well. One of righteous vengeance, anyways. He rather enjoys preying on what he deems to be evil people, and ending their lives; ninety percent of his bounty hunting work is spent doing just that, actually. Aries is pretty unforgiving in that regard, a result of past trauma in dealing with so-called evil folk. Even with them, though, Aries presents a rather lovable demeanor. He’s the type of person one simply cannot bring themselves to hate, even as he’s actively trying to kill them. He’s simply too genuinely kind. It should be noted that Aries has a bit of an ego about him. It’s not necessarily overconfidence, but rather, he knows his own limits very well, and if he judges you to be below his limits, he will let you know. Not maliciously, of course, but Aries will not hesitate to gently put someone in their place. And, if they argue, he will simply laugh off their argument and probably pat them on the head or something, as if they were a cute child who had just said something funny. On the note of children, Aries does have a singular daughter, whom he’d do absolutely anything for. She is the only person who could ever convince him to do feminine things, like having tea parties with her, or dressing up as princesses together, or doing each other’s hair…. Aries isn’t a helicopter parent, but he still values his daughter’s safety above all other things, and as such has taught her self defense, survival skills, and how to handle/clean a weapon. He’s even bought her a standard suit of armor, tailored to her size. Aries is not a scholar by any means, though he does like learning about professions and what goes into them. He’s also well versed enough in mechanics to at least get someone back to civilization if their skycar has broken down. Beyond that, however, an expert would be recommended. If one took the time to simply sit down with him and discuss their profession, they’d find that Aries is an avid learner, and is eager to gain more knowledge on virtually any subject. Physical Description Simply put, Aries is tall as hell. Standing at 2.25 meters tall, he’s definitely beyond the average for human height. He’s a dark skinned gentleman with buzzed black hair, warm brown eyes, and a general demeanor of calmness. He carries himself like a person who could not be touched by anything would. There are a number of scars, both deep and light, across his body, courtesy of hundreds of operations as a mercenary. He has also built up quite a bit of muscle in his line of work, as well as whilst giving people a hand lifting heavy objects. Aries tends to wear rather simple clothes; the only time he ever dressed fancy was at his wedding. Usually it’s just a t-shirt and shorts, or jeans. Sometimes he’ll wear a leather jacket as well. Oftentimes, especially after a workout, he goes sans a shirt, to keep his clothes from getting all sweaty and gross, if nothing else. Armament A soldier through and through, Aries is armed to the teeth. His biotics are formidable weapons in their own right, but he backs them up with an M-56 Rhino, an M-11 Wraith and an M-6 Carnifex. His omni-tool can create an Omni-Shield and his armor is implanted with Tech Armor generators and Fortification technology. Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:N7 Category:Systems Alliance Category:Systems Alliance Navy Category:Bounty Hunters Category:Criminals